Affordable homes requirement changed
A developer granted permission to build apartments on land previously occupied by a Cannock social club will no longer have to provide affordable housing on the site, after there was no interest expressed by registered providers.
Cannock Chase Council granted permission for four two-storey apartment blocks on the Blackford Working Men’s Club in 2017, subject to conditions including some of the 26 flats being affordable properties.
An agreement made at the time meant that no more than half the “unrestricted” apartments could be completed.
This was until the council had confirmed it was satisfied the owner had entered into a legally binding contract with a registered provider to transfer all the affordable housing units to a registered provider.
But on Wednesday, more than three years after the agreement was made, Cannock Chase Council’s planning committee heard the developer had faced challenges in finding a registered housing provider willing to take on the flats earmarked as affordable housing.
An estate agent had been employed to market the apartments and had contacted eight registered social housing providers – but none had been interested in the Cannock Road site.
A report to the committee said: “As the approved scheme is for 26 dwellings an on-site provision of 20% (five units) affordable housing was required to make the scheme policy compliant.
Elsewhere
"The affordable units would need to be managed by a registered provider.
“Officers can confirm that registered providers are generally unwilling to take on small numbers of units in mixed tenure blocks.
"Indeed, the council’s own housing department has confirmed that they are unwilling to take on the flats.”
A request was made to the council to change the agreement to allow a sum of money to be paid towards providing affordable homes elsewhere in the district.
Committee members agreed to the request.
Planning officer Richard Sunter said: “In the circumstances, it seems reasonable.
"The £21,735, based on five one-bedroom flats, will go towards the pot the council would have for affordable site provision and be added to any other schemes that would come forward."
